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Herc Picks The Best & Worst
New Series Of September!!
I am – Hercules!!
The three best new series of September are launching Sunday and Monday, so I thought today would be a good day to rank 'em.
The best hourlongs:
3) “LoneStar,” created by screenwriter Kyle Killen (the upcoming Mel Gibson-Jodie Foster feature “The Beaver”), follows a conman with two wives (“Friday Night Lights’” Adrianne Palicki and “Crash’s” Eloise Mumford) in two different Texas cities. Not sure if there’s a series in it, but the pilot is solid. Premieres Monday on Fox.
2) “The Event,” a cross between “24” and “Lost” from Nick Wauters, who scripted an episode of “Medium,” an episode of “The 4400,” an episode of “Eureka.” It stars Jason Ritter, Blair Underwood, Scott Patterson and Laura Innes. Again, I don’t know if there’s a series in it, but the pilot made certain there was no way I was going to miss episode two. Premieres directly opposite "LoneStar" Monday on NBC. Record "LoneStar," watch "The Event."
1) The best new series of September is easily “Boardwalk Empire,” a new gangster drama from the “Sopranos” team of writer-producer Terrence Winter and actor-director Steve Buscemi. Six episodes in, I rank it alongside “The Wire,” “Rome” and, yes, “The Sopranos” as one of the best things ever to emerge from HBO. Full of great actors playing enormously compelling characters. Premieres Sunday.
The worst hourlongs:
3) “Outlaw,” a legal drama starring Jimmy Smits from writer-producer John Eisendrath (who also created “My Own Worst Enemy’) about a Supreme Court justice who quits the bench to start a private practice. Absurd yet boring. Enters its regular timeslot on NBC Friday.
2) “Detroit 187,” a faux cop documentary from writer Jason Richman (“Swing Vote”) starring Michael Imperioli (“Life On Mars”), is the waft of failure that comes off a mountain of clichés. Hits ABC on Tuesday.
1) The very worst is the monstrously inept “My Generation,” another faux documentary from ABC, this one from “The Unusuals” creator Noah Hawley. It focuses on a handful of classmates 10 years after their high school graduation. It's the strongest argument that recently fired ABC entertainment chief Stephen McPherson could not have been let go a minute too soon. You can see for yourself on Thursday.
The sitcoms:
Mostly disasters. The best is CBS’ “Mike and Molly,” from the shop behind “Two and a Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory.” For the worst you can choose between ABC’s “Better With You” (from “Joey” writer-producer Shana Goldberg-Meehan), CBS’ “Shit My Dad Says” (from “Will & Grace” masterminds David Kohan and Max Mutchnick) and NBC’s “Outsourced” (from “50 First Dates” screenwriter George Wing).
Want a second opinion? Find Maureen Ryan’s lists here.
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Readers Talkback
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Wow!
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Foiled.
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Shatner is the only reason I will check out that show. I love Shatner. I hate CBS with a passion, but I will check out the Shatner show. Meanwhile....I don't think any other show this fall could be worse than Hellcats, or whatever it's called. I caught a few minutes of that awful cheerleader show. It is really horrible.
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How the fuck does this guy still get jobs in hollywood?
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Blair Underwood?
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I don't find Blair Underwood so offensive. I think he has a sissyfied name, but I don't think there's anything wrong with him.
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NBC had better not pull the same crap they did with Heroes.
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Its no doubt why they are represented by a flightless bird: peaCOCK.
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I mean its no wonder
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caused me physical harm.
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Haven't seen any mention from you yet, or did I miss it along the way?
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haha, i giggle to myself when i say that
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It starts getting good with episode three, starring Olivia Williams. Have they aired that one yet?
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...Shatner makes me laugh. And I was highly skeptical about the trailer for Shit My Dad Says. I see that it can be weak, but fuck if I didn't laugh out loud anyway.
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I am hesitant to get into it.
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Sept. 18, 2010, 6:55 p.m. CST
As pissed off as we may have been with the departure of LOST...
by jedimast3r
...I am sad that there's a dwindling amount of watchable TV. <p>I'm looking forward to Dexter and the rest of Weeds (which hasn't been that good thus far), and possibly Boardwalk Empire. But the TV losses (24, LOST, BSG) haven't been exactly replaced with similar-quality fare. <p>Oh well, there's always hockey. Go Pittsburgh!
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Back the day of its premiere, I think he liked it and said he would give the 2nd episode a chance to hook him. Just don't mention Sons of Anarchy though, that'll get your comment mysteriously deleted for some reason on this site.
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It looks like comical gold for those of us who work in call centers.
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I am declaring that a victory.
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Heroes, except nowhere near as good.
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The cast, with the exception of a few, is excellent, and the ending just hits you like a thunderbolt.
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I don't really care about spoilers, so anyone know what it exactly is, the commercials make it look like an armegedon/deep impact type story, but i read a synopsis that makes it sound like a coverup/spy series<P>So what exactly is it, disaster or espionage?
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Just FYI, his cancer is back. Starz has no announcements on the future of the series.
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And I really liked the premise behind the show. It could have been great. Shatner is wrong for the role. The dad needs to be far more curmudgeonly and politically incorrect.
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They don't show you what The Event is in the first episode, but wow, you sure get an idea of what it is.
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I watched the live chat Starz did at comic-con and he looked great and was psyched to do the second season, as was I.
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Lone star interests me about as much as a rectal exam, so my 9 pm's on mondays are wide open for something new. House followed by the event might be enough to keep me interested through the TV season<P>My mondays have been raped over the last year or so, I lost Prison break, heroes, 24 even sarah connor chronicles was a big part of my mondays)
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Doesn't seem that bad. The Event needs to just come out say what the hell "The Event" is. Boardwalk Empire looks great too.
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Or as I like to call them, "People who have no idea of what is good but only what they like and they get paid inflicting their opinion on others". However, sometimes they are right, and I have no problem with a critic who says, "I liked this show" or "This show wasn't for me," but for a critic to state absolutely that a program is "bad" or "good" slips beyond the pale, and in a lot of cases, they are completely and utterly out of touch with what the American public likes, what will pass as entertainment, or what will be successful. Cases in Point:Series that were roundly panned by critics but wound up being long running successes. "The Dick Van Dyke Show", "Seinfeld", "The Simpsons", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and "Dallas", just to mention a few. Were these "good" shows? That decision is up to the individual viewer, but suffice it to say I will be making up my own mind on all the offerings of the fall. And, no, I don't need anyone else to tell me my own opinion.
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oh god, that can't be a good sign. I really can't even begin to fathom the success for Two And A Half Men, anything I've ever seen of it is painfully bad. It's just one punchline rapid fire after another. And you're saying another sitcom they've created is supposed to be one of the best new shows??
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Just sayin' - plus I don't know her name but the chick that plays "Molly" - I've seen her in other stuff and she always annoys the crap out of me - are you saying she's watchable in this or are you saying it's good because you pity the fattys?
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is in my view the best of the new sitcoms, but I won't be watching it.
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It hasn't been good in years.
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...is based on a 2006 movie which is actually surprisingly decent. However I agree that the sitcom looks (and probably is) terrible.
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I couldn't resist :).
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It's been all down hill since that awesome season.
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Is that the idea behind the show is a little dated. Maybe back in '06 the show would have some relevance. But by now, i think most people are accustomed to talking to Sanjeeb as their tech support guy.
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"of the new sitcoms, but I won't be watching it."<p>So what you are saying is, of all the new sitcoms, it's the least bad? Better than all the others, but still not worth watching. On the Hercules Sitcom Scale of 1-10, 10 being "The Office" and 1 being NBC's "Kath & Kim", what would it rate?
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I believe America would have found "Outsourced" dreadful if it premiered in 2006. A great sitcom could be forged from the premise of "Outsourced." The issue is it is being scripted by soft, unfunny hacks.
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Sept. 18, 2010, 10:12 p.m. CST
Best recent sitcoms: Party Down, B.O. Ted, Community
by dailysportspages
Better Off Ted was such a great show, too bad it didnt last.
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FYI, Herc, D187 dropped the whole "faux documentary" thing, due to a bungled raid (with "The First 48" filming) that got a little girl shot and killed. The incident was big news here in The D, and lead to the DPD suspending all film crew drive-alongs. (There goes any chance of a Detroit episode of "COPS," I guess...)
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Man it seems like no matter where I go online, it's the trendiest thing going to tear House to shreds. I mean to each his own and everything, but it really has gotten to a point where I can't help but think some of the people are doing so because it's the in thing to do, and that's always sad. For the record, I still absolutely adore it. But for those who hate, I suppose have solace in the fact that surely it won't have anymore than 3 more seasons, at the absolutely most, and probably really just 2. I mean how many network dramas go as far as 10 years anymore, it's quite rare.
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Last week I stumbled across a random repeat of an "Angel" I barely remembered, involving Ilyria changing timelines and a group of demons asserting their rights over an unborn baby. <p> There's nothing on TV right now as good as that episode. And I'm certain it wasn't even one of the top-five "Angel" episodes aired that season. <p>Crazy, man.
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5)The Trial 4)Apocalypse Nowish 3)A Hole in the World 2)Are You Now Or Have You Ever Been? 1) Sleep Tight.
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It will be confused and confusing so that profundity-seekers will prolong its agony for six weeks of living death. <p> I'm looking forward to "Hawaii-Bozo."
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Were they filming actual ride alongs with cops? Otherwise I don't see how a ban on ride alongs would effect a faux doc with actor-cops?
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I have high hopes for that one, but some early reviews have been not so great.
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The Event is safe for one year at least, because as far as I know it has the slot for at least 1 season.
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It's the best medical drama, and its just an all around amazing show. I do agree it probabaly only has 2 maybe 3 years left in it, I think hugh laurie will be up for a contract renewal, he'll ask for to much money or control and Fox will end the series like they did with 24 (even though the show was still profitable). But for now it's still one of the best shows on Network TV and any one who says different can go watch drivel like Big bang thoery or Shat my dad says
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Sept. 18, 2010, 11:47 p.m. CST
The event will suffer what prison break suffered from
by RedBull_Werewolf
they have layed out the first season to wrap everything up, but If it's a hit then they wills cramble to extend the plot and we'll get a prison break season 2-4 scenario where the magic is gone and the show just isn't what it was. The only season long arc show that was abl;e to successfully be fresh in multiple seasons was 24, but they could just essentially reboot the show each year with minimal connections to the previous years
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meh. Except for Grace Park's astonishing semi-clad bod.
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have the series plot outlined for two years. <p> So maybe they've got a chance, then, if they stick to it.
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Yeah, it had human things at stake not just "omg people have random powers," guess that makes it bad.
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I know you're a big Whedon fan so i know you got a list,lol.
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Seriously, worst news I've heard in a long time.
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It shouldn't be written 'and yes, The Sopranos' but and yes, The Wire.
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This better be some sick joke...googling...
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Well that just sucks...
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How utterly lame.
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Sorry, I should have been clearer. No, D187 wasn't shooting with real cops; they were originally going to shoot some/all (I forget) scenes in that particular style, using the actors. However, the producers dropped the idea to reflect the current reality of the DPD no longer allowing ride-alongs in real life (as well as showing sensitivity to the little-girl-who-was-killed incident, which is still a sensitive issue).
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Didn't they makes this already for eleven years on NBC? I think it starred John Mahoney.
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Or Deadwood either.
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The Sopranos or Deadwood. Fact!
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...And yeah, you're right, it was a great ep. It had some of Joss's best writing. According to one of the commentary's, Joss wrote all the dialog for Illyria and all the scenes between Illyria and Wesley. - Damn, I miss that show!
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Seriously, A comedy about CSR jobs being outsourced to India while lampooning Indians?Just what your avarage unemployed American needs to cheer him/her up in the midst of one of the worst financial crisis ever.<p>Maybe the idiots who came up with this premise should have their jobs "outsourced".
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Doesn't hold up as well as The Sopranos on repeated viewing. Yes it's premise had considerable ambition. No it does not hold the answers to life. The writing on The Sopranos is astonishingly consistent. Deadwood was uneven but Milch is probably the greatest television writer of all time when he's on top form, of dialogue certainly. And conceptually, Deadwood and The Wire are similar, they survey a town. Milch had the insight to locate that in the past. And he actually puts forth a philosophy, anchored on the symbolism of gold as a lie agreed upon. The Wire paints a great portrait of characters, but beyond unrelenting cynicism, what does it really have to say? That we're all morally compromised in the end? Okay. The best character on The Wire was Ziggy. Fact.
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I think you're thinking of that show that ran for 9 years on CBS. That one with Carroll O'Connor.
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FACT! In fact he's one of the best most interesting characters on television in the decade.
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Interesting that you pick the only character they self-consciously chose to let revel in being a cartoon character. Omar is two parts wild west gun slinger, one part superhero.
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For me it's the other way around. I found The Sopranos to vary wildly in quality from season to season (episode to episode not so much). Deadwood, for me, hardly varied at all and maintained quality throughout.
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Nothing on "Raising Hope"? I thought you might get a chance to review it, or hear anything about it. It looks funny, but is it?
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...is when Smits announces to the court that a dead girl's DNA is on her husband's old glasses...so one scene later the guy who spent 11 years in jail for her murder is walking out of the court room, all smiles.<p>No DNA test. No investigation. No meeting. Guess the judge just banged a gavel and said get him the fuck out of here. <p>Laughable.
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I love them both. The Wire is better though. Considering by the 5th season they had a cast of about 30, its amazing how detailed and fully formed each one was. Plus season 4 of The Wire is the best season of any TV show ever. <P><P>I do love Deadwood for its acting, its dialogue and the fact that ALL its plot comes from its characters, and in a sense it is more rewatchable in that the dialogue constantly sparks and the performances are so good. But its still The Wire for me. <P><P>The Sopranos was very very good. But I thought it should've ended about a year before it did. Not to say the quality dropped off drastically, just that it seemed a little stretched.
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Sept. 19, 2010, 7:11 a.m. CST
Actually, the most notable omission for me is Abram's latest.
by Chewtoy
This site is a big fan of the man's output in general, and promotions for the slick looking spy show have been all over television. Interesting to see that it doesn't yet merit a mention.
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Ugh, fuck you and your mancrush on Whedon, Herc.
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5. Hole In the World 4. Smile Time 3. Reunion 2. Sleep Tight 1. Not Fade Away <P><P>The fact 3 of them are in the 5th season just shows how good it was when it got cancelled. I hated Angel's finale when I saw it, now I think its pretty much perfect
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Sept. 19, 2010, 7:38 a.m. CST
The song in that Lonestar trailer is by Mumford and Sons.
by SnootyBoots
Who are from Jolly Old England, not the Lonestar State. Great band.
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I was hoping it would be good. But I suppose the show getting cancelled would be fitting, since the leading candidate for MI governor by a large margin wants to do away with the tax breaks that have turned Detroit into Hollywood East.
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The Event? Non-event <p> Chase? Run <p> Mike & Molly? Hide the doughnuts! <p> Raising Hope? Rosemary's Baby, but it's a single dad. And it's a comedy. <p> The Defenders? David E. Kelley texted. He wants his schtick back. <p> Hawaii Five-O? Grace Park and lube. Need I say more?<p> Lone Star? Sympathy for a bigamist con man? Good luck with that. <p> Outsourced? The Office, with happy Indians (dot). But do Americans want to laugh with the people who took their jobs? <p> No Ordinary Family? Smallville called. They want their fast-running whoosh effect back. That goes for you fangers over at HBO too. <p> No Ordinary Family? Sanofi-Aventis is suing you for stealing their Ambien formula. <p> No Ordinary Family? This is why Pixar didn't make The Incredible as a live action movie. <p> No Ordinary Family? Very ordinary writing. <p> Shit My Dad Says? Well, it's my dad. This could go on for awhile.<p> Terriers? The set-up at the end of the pilot for the season's big bad was a bit forced, and wouldn't a guy with this kind of dough have motion sensors on his estate? Still, Donal Logue is an engaging lead. It's better than most of the new network dramas.
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...then No Ordinary Family is TV's version of the Fantastic Four. they even have Michael Chiklis! makes you wonder why they wouldn't just make an X-Men or FF television series, but then you think of the budget that kind of show would need and that Marvel would want a cut of the profits, and you'd see why TV execs would rather opt to produce shows that resemble these premises but lack the licensing issues.
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...I think the show could survive without him. Let's all remember that Spartacus isn't even his character's real name. He could pass the Spartacus name onto somebody else as it becomes more a symbol of rebellion. Would give even more poignancy to the inevitable "I am Spartacus!" scene...It's a tall order to fill Andy's shoes, though.
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Re-watching, I have to agree. Not as good as Heroes (season 1). But it does not feel like it will head down the "save the world every season" shithole anytime soon and COULD improve. I had a blast watching it.
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Re: Detroit-187, I'm going to give the show a chance. I'm tired of television thinking that the only places cops do actual work is New York City and Los Angeles. Sure, the show might tank, but to me, it looks better than Herc is giving it credit for. (I tend to judge for myself, and not blindly trust what some online talking head has to say.) Besides, I live in the Detroit area, so I gotta root for the home team. :-)
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P.S. Except, of course, when it comes to the Detroit Lions. I have SOME limits...
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Good call on those top 5 Angel eps. Honorable mentions go to Forgiving, Spin The Bottle and Quickening.
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Is it weird to STILL be mourning FIREFLY? I watch the series once a year, at least. I only ever discovered ANGEL (ie gave it a chance) after the end of BUFFY, on DVD. My absolute favourite was season 4. Five was also good, but 4 was one huge, consistent story, every episode a cliffhanger. Sort of heartbreaking that BUFFY overstayed its welcome by a season, and ANGEL felt like it was cut off just as it had found its stride.<p>There is no scripted TV on right now that I feel compelled to tune in for. Well, SPARTACUS, except Andy's cancer recurred so he's dropped out of the series for good. Heart, broken.<p>I'll give BOARDWALK a shot. It looks expensive. But I want another great sci-fi show. I feel like the last great sci-fi show was FIREFLY.
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Feeling masochistic, I had a look. Oooohhh big mistake. Professional assassins don't chat with their victims. They kill them. Nikita? Chats with the bad guys until she gets into a very public firefight with gumbies, allowing the big fish to get away. Doesn't get much dumber than that.
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Sept. 19, 2010, 9:52 a.m. CST
I can't believe new comedies still have a laugh track
by RedBull_Werewolf
I thought that thing died years ago, CBS seems to be the only network that still uses them
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That should be automatic for the geek love!<p>BTW, looking forward to Detroit 187! Tired of the "clean" cop shows; wanna see some filthy, decaying cop show!
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Mon: "Mike & Molly" and "Lone Star" cancelled before 13 epidsodes. Tues: Same fate for "Detroit 187". "Raising Hope" and "Running Wilde" might make a full season but have little chance for being renewed. Wed: "Better With You" will be first pulled after 4 episodes. "Undercovers" will survive on Abrams name. "Defenders" and "The Whole Truth" gone by mid-season. "Hellcats" will only survive because of the network it's on. Thurs: "My Generation" and "Shit My Dad Says" gone well before 13 eps and "Outsourced" will be gone as fast as "Cavemen" and "Carpool". "Nikita" has a chance but needs to stop being "Alias". Fri: "Body of Proof" has hope as long it isn't viewed as a "Bones" retread. (Remember "Leaving L.A."?) "Blue Bloods" and "Outlaw" will tank. So, basically, the new TV season is crap. I think only "Hawaii 5-0", "No Ordinary Family" and "The Event" have the best shot at a second season or more.
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Shatner delivers lines like no one else in the business.
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the networks should have shelved cop shows for a good ten years. Unless you can come up with something truly original and great, then there's no reason to even air a cop show, since it's obviously going to pale in comparison to The Wire. Sometimes I feel bad for the networks. Until I see what sort of crap they keep pushing out, that is.
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The extended trailer for "My Generation" (which was forced upon us towards the end of the Lost run) made me want to punch all of its walking stereotypes in the throat.
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Note in the headline it says "Herc Picks The Best & Worst New Series Of SEPTEMBER". Walking Dead doesn't premiere until October.
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Screw Omar Little.
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And it didn't cost 18 million for one episode (Boardwalk Empire was around that wasn't it?). <P> Network TV seems intent on showing us that it hasn't quite hit rock bottom yet.
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But they're not as bad as those three worst.
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Wow. SPARTACUS: BLOOD & SAND turned out to be a real surprise; a worthwhile better-than-guilty pleasure that truly delivered. And Andy deserves a lot of the credit for helping the show find its voice.<P>I wish him well.
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Has been able to coast a bit on his looks (the way women respond to him is simply astounding) but when he has a strong director, he's got the acting goods. He is also a good and decent guy. Fact.
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died years ago. <p> But their hilarity lives on.
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Somehow missed your review, I'll go back and find it. Episode 3 is coming up. I watched the first 2. They aren't the greatest things since sliced bread, a little uneven here and there with some less than stellar dialogue, but certainly entertaining enough to keep me watching. Good to hear episode 3 picks up. Is Olivia Williams from Rushmore and 6th Sense?
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First Robin Hood, now Jimmy Smits. *sigh* It's just never a good day to be an Outlaw.
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Can you watch Angel and have no issues with missing out on plot lines if you only watched the 1st season and 1/2 of season 2 of Buffy? I really can't watch anymore Buffy..
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Your assessment of OMAR LITTLE is so wrong that I have to wonder if you have just skimmed a review somewhere and spouted a load of bullshit.
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Could redeem itsf by having it really be lupus, and no one makes the diagnosis because they're all too embarrassed about it never being lupus. Ptient dies. There's you series finale right there.
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Was perfect. "I don't know about you, but I want to slay me a dragon". or something. Fucking awesome.
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Yes. Angel stands up by itself.
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poses a real problem for me. It looks terrible and totally unwatchable ... but Grace Park in a bikini is just wonderful. What to do, what to do.
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Omar even gives a soliloquy about Greek mythology. Guess that bit went straight over your head, huh? Or the kids whispering Omar's name like a legend on the street corner at the very end, even when Marlo's the last man standing. The joke being they've pretty much got the same name, Omarlo.
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I haven't watched most of the season so I'm not sure I even saw a lot of the ones you guys have listed, but I'm a little disappointed there was no mention of "Soulless," the episode in season 4 where they lock Angel in a cage and remove his soul to ask "Angelus" how to stop the beast. That one is like a little mini-play, and was the first time that I realized David Boreanaz was actually capable of acting.
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I haven't watched most of the series*, is what I meant to say.
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just very few genre shows. I would love to see something fun and creepy each week, but after the demise of the awful looking Happy Town, I don't think that will happen any time soon. Maybe I'll check out The Event, not because the commercials make it look any good, but because I use an hour long genre exercise every week.
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but here are some great angel ep... angel as a doll, fred turn to illyria, the timebomb, pretty much every ep that big horn monster was in, the one in italy, the ballet, the finale... pretty much loved the show ever since darla got pregnant... before that with doyle, it sucked
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I'm rewatching FlashFoward on DVD. I hope that Hawaii 5 0 isn't just another tacky procedural.
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if were discussin great shows like angel, that doesnt dick their audience and fans, and actually has a great series finale that fits with the entire shows mythology and theme, then lost should not be mentioned at all... you can watch any rewatch any ep of angel and be happy... you rewatch any ep of lost and you instantly realize 98% of it does not matter (pregnancy issues, the rules, jacob, smokie, etc)... fuckin hate lost in hindsight
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I never saw angel. Shows about Vampires put me into deep sleep. Also, I'd watch Lost over pretty much anything that's on TV right now.
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thats what im most excited about
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when have Americans not been racist? this would have worked in any period with minor modifications
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how one can still enjoy lost after bein shown nothin mattered is beyond me... plot holes galore
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What show doesn't have plot holes. Besides, Lost pretty much explained every plot hole in 12 minute DVD segment. Lost was the story of the Oceanic people to me, and Ben and the Others. I could give a rip about Jacob or Smokey.
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can a sitcom last on fat jokes alone...the answer....FUCKIN, NO WAY!!!!!
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Roseanne did.
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but it was also a throwback to rural comedies with alot of family dynamics<p>watch the mike and molly preview....its all fat jokes<p>just saw a rather interesting bbc reality show that has been around for i guess 3 years, called snog, marry or avoid...which is a nice take on the eff, marry, kill concept...someone in america should pick it up
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well besides the fact that a dead person can have his heart pumpin blood to his penis so he can get an erection... besides that, no plotholes
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We never saw how they leave or come to the island. There's a flash, and then hell breaks loose, but how does the sub get to the island? We never saw that. Shitty.
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Is that the characters aren't immigrants...they're in their own home country. Changing their ways will only cause them grief since they're all already well adjusted to the country they live in. And no, nobody is really named Man Meat in India.
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House still has the actor power, and some of the writing. The problem is their constant efforts to take them somewhere "new" just brings them to stuff that is pretty old-hat, TV drama-wise. Cuddy and House romantically together? House using his "powers" for good? Eh.<p> My main concern with The Event is that it looks set to go the route of FlashForward. Ensemble cast, big bang to start off, they look like they've got a plan for the season, but FF simply couldn't keep the momentum.
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I don't agree with your assesment of The Wire but you're pretty much spot on with the Omar thing. In the final season they even have him survice what should be an impossible fall, just to push the 'myth' element. Something cool about The Wire though: in season 3, when the kids are playing guns in the street after Omar has just ripped off Barksdale's crew, the one who says "I want to be Omar" is Kenard, the kid that eventuallty kills him. Its stuff like that that makes The Wire worth a re-watch
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obviously
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Similar deaths.
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All the good episodes were in the beginning, and they pretty much told you there was going to be a second flashforward. Let down.
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will be a complete non event, some liberal wet dream with piss poor writing, zero forethought, and shit acting. I'll watch it though, on the hope that I am wrong.
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Oh wait I'm wrong! Since NBC is in the shitter I suspect it'll be another Heroes!<p>Once the writing goes shitty you can expect it to live on, ENDLESSLY past it due date!
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Sept. 19, 2010, 5:44 p.m. CST
Yeah but Herc thinks Entourage is better than Arrested Developme
by fastcars
Grain of salt, grain of salt.
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Did they ever reveal what caused the FlashForward? Was it anything interesting?
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ABC canceled it too soon.
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will be the same way. NBC will not stand behind it, and it will be canceled before anything is explained.
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Yeah they did. There was a guy named Dyson that invented a device that caused him to Flash Forward many times as himself. He decided to see if he could use it on the general population to see if it could work and it did.
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On October 6, 2009, Frost was seated in a "control center" wearing a Ring that served as Quantum Entanglement Device. He called Simon Campos by cell phone and told him to move to his seat at the baseball park because time was running out. When Simon took his seat, Frost called again and told Simon to put on the ring that he would find in a box of popcorn.
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It got good around the third and fourth season, but the fifth season was an absolute disaster. The tired old cliche about a newspaperman who invents stories? The embarassing keystone kops bit about McNulty pretending there's a serial killer? They should have ended it at season 4. There are a ton of TV shows infinitely better than The Wire. Best TV shows on HBO: Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, Deadwood. Compared to shows like Mad Men, Breaking Bad and Dexter, The Wire is definitely at the bottom of the barrel. Wait a minute-- Let me check again. Yup, definitely bottom of the barrel.
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Looks like a good show, although I still think that "Carnivale" is the best HBO series ever. I'd put "Six Feet Under" and "Rome" right after that.
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Nothing has come close.
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I don't know what the big picture is, but I'm looking forward to the show.
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Yes, it is weird to still mourn for Firefly. The show was canceled. Serenity bombed. The cast moved on to other things. So should you.
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Sept. 19, 2010, 7:55 p.m. CST
Too bad about Outsourced because I'll HAVE to watch it...
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
... My girlfriend is Iranian and for some odd cultural reason I personally will NEVER understand, all Iranians think Indians are the funniest people on the planet.
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Sept. 19, 2010, 7:55 p.m. CST
Really, Michael Imperioli is best known for Life On Mars?
by Coughlins Laws
Really? Seriously, really? I would say he's better known as Nick Falco from Law & Order than from Life On Mars...
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Sept. 19, 2010, 7:58 p.m. CST
The FlashForward was caused by...
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
... a cameo-crossover with Lost wherein Hurley accidentally took a dump into the magic, glowing latrine-like thing on the island.
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That was my impression, they just sexied it up with a conspiracy, BS politics, the slightest hint of Stephen King Stand-style apocalypse, and a cliche lesbian cop who's preggers (honestly I'm sick of lesbian cop characters, I want a straight female cop and a lesbian girly girl).
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Yes, but Dyson was controlling it. He says he caused the blackout in 1991.
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Sept. 19, 2010, 8:44 p.m. CST
Nope, FlashForward caused by...
by HarryKnowlesNonExistentInceptionReview
...Hurley from Lost... dump into glowy thing.
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Sept. 19, 2010, 10:09 p.m. CST
Herc -- only counting N. American series? 'Cause...
by GreatWhiteNoise
I watched an episode the other night of the Beeb's new series "Sherlock" (with Benedict Cumberbirch and Martin Freeman as the dynamic duo), and I thought it was fantastic. Definitely worth a look.
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and I still love it. While not perfect it all makes sense to me.
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They took two of the people I hated from season 3 of Dexter and put them in their own series. Yikes.
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Why not Penny or Charlie since they were actually ON the show?
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Sept. 20, 2010, 2:14 a.m. CST
Andy from Parks and Rec should be on the Office
by MelGibsonsRacialTirade
That guy was pretty funny
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Greg and Dharma, Two and a Half Men, Big Bang Theory, Will&Grace and the list goes on and on. Shit writing with their easy flat jokes, generally delivered with terrible timing and yet the the genpop of TV land eat that crap up. I couldn't believe Two Men went for what 8 seasons? HOLY FUCK. IT'S UNFUNNY SHIT. They all are! I love The Shat, but this is a fucking embarrassment for him coming off of The Practice/Boston Legal.
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AND I loved the way you solved the riddle about the rules and how they're connected to the Protector. <p> Had to mention it here, my friend!
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I loved 24 and LOST. So I'll be with it. If I stick? Certainly, I even did it with FlashForward, though the experience watered down along the road.
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I record it and speed through the ads. Even football.
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Yeah you're right about Omar being larger than life but that doesn't mean it's unrealistic. Omar and many of his exploits are based in reality as is the show in general. This includes Omar's jump. Here in NYC a few weeks ago a guy jumped out of a 39Th floor window, crashed through someone's car windshield and survived.
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have spectacular pilots but may not be sustainable as series. Sounds promising. Surprised there wasn't a dramedy reference wedged in there somehow.<p><p>And Outlaw was truly horrible...which probably means it will be come a hit.
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Probably what will save them, at least for a little while.
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I would say Underwood is the successor to the late Robert Urich -- good, reliable TV actor who keeps working, obviously enjoying his craft, and takes up as many roles as he can when he's available. Last series he starred which I found myself enjoying was LAX (drama set in the airport), which aired on NBC 6 years ago and ran for just 13 episodes. (I found myself liking LAX, and wish they would release it on DVD or on Hulu at least. Heather Locklear was pretty good in it, too.)
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I'm from the Detroit area as well, and I too enjoy seeing the success of anything made here during the (sure to be short lived if Snyder does get elected - and he will) "Hollywood East" boom. It's fun to hear stories about locals' brushes with fame. Yeah, maybe I sound like a starry-eyed yokel, but it's nice to see and hear positive things coming from my home state. I'm rooting for "D187", which means I'll probably have to start watching "Sons of Anarchy" on demand (a week late... damn you FX.) I just think it would be cool to see some local dignitaries pop up on the show for cameos. Surely Mike Illich or Peter Karmanos, or hell even Dave Bing or Charles Pugh could buy himself a cameo, not to mention local athletes.
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EW says first episode will reveal why the V are here, what they look like and what baby hybrid looks like also.
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Couldn't save Terminator or Dollhouse.
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yeah, and you've reminded me I think there's a bit on The Wire S5 DVD that talks about how the original inspiration for Omar survived a similar fall. Omar is the only character on The Wire who exists outside of an institution or organisation, so that gave them licence to be a bit more extravagent with his role. I don't see any of this as a criticism though, the mythic element to him was a deliberate choice by the writers. <P><P>In fact, a lot of season 5 takes on a more reflexive tone. Its not just Omar
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I'm going to have fun with this, 'cause I know no one will believe me. I know the secret of the Event, and the producers definitely have specific reveals in mind. Whether the series is good or not is another question (although signs look good!) But they know where they're going. And it's pretty cool.
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I believe the inspiration for Omar acted on the show at some point. From what I remember he jumped from an even higher story than they depict on the show.
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but then again he was always in excellent company, character-wise.
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I know some of you guys don't like him, but I consider The Choppah a good (albeit bugnuts) friend. <BR><BR> And TB seems so empty without him.
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Band of Brothers was a mini-series, not a series. It was conceived, created, and aired, as a 10 part series with no plans, conception, or possibility, of becoming an multi-season series. Unlike, say, Persons Unknown, that despite NBC's insistence that it was a "mini-series", was in fact a series. A cancelled series. 13 episodes of a show that was not picked up beyond that initial order. A 13 episode story arc that had a certain amount of conclusion but was always intended to continue beyond that.<p>However, I do agree that Band of Brothers tops anything I've seen from HBO.
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Sept. 20, 2010, 1:09 p.m. CST
Jason Ritter will never be the man that his grandfather was!
by Hercules
Tex Ritter RIP
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I've seen some TV series that air SIX episodes and call it a season. It's amazing that Band of Brothers aired 10 quality episodes. It's a modern classic.
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that distinguishes a series from a mini-series. Rather, it is whether or not it is envisioned as an ongoing series or a self-contained story. A series is created with the intention of running over the course of several years, or seasons; a mini-series is created with a finite number of episodes planned (even if it does spawn a sequel or is later adapted as a series, like the original "V"). To my thinking, a mini-series is a TV movie with multiple parts; a series is a TV show with multiple episodes. A slight distinction, I know.<p>I heard once the original plan for Band of Brothers was 12 parts (like they did with From the Earth to the Moon) but HBO balked at the potential price-tag and had them reduce it to 10. I've always wondered what they would have done with 2 more hours.
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Angel and Buffy were great shows. Angel more so than Buffy,but Supernatural is a genre/horror fan's dream come true. The shit they get away with on that show amazes me. Maybe it's because no one is watching. Oh well. Thank you Dvr, now I can come home late friday night or even saturday morning if the weekend starts good enough and catch Supernatural with out having to watch commercials for Hellcats or Gossip Girl. I'm man enough to admit I still watch Smallville too. I've come to far to stop now. Interested to see how this whole "Apokolips/Darkside" thing works out.
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